Tool for painters and method for its use

ABSTRACT

The current invention is a tool that will help a painter manage his tools and save time and labor. The tool comprises a container; a wrench; and a tip holder.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

This Application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent applications 61/124,319, 61/124,320, and 61/124,321 all filed on 14 Apr. 2008 and incorporates those applications in their entirety herein by reference.

Before the advent of the airless sprayer, a painter may have counted a few paint brushes and a paint tray as his tools. The painter may have also carried a screwdriver to open a paint can. The airless sprayer added to the painter's tool chest.

Airless sprayers allow a user to spray a coating of paint, ink, or varnish, for example, through the air onto a surface. Airless sprayers atomize and direct liquid particles. As discussed above, the liquid can be paint, ink, or varnish, amongst others. For ease of description, this application will use paint to refer to any of the liquids that can be used in the airless sprayer.

The advantages of the airless sprayer are many: the coating penetrates into pits and crevices; a uniform thick coating is produced, reducing the number of coats required; a very “wet” coating is applied, ensuring good adhesion and flow-out; and most coatings can be sprayed with very little thinner added, thereby reducing drying time and decreasing the solvent release into the environment; amongst others. The amount and coating type deposited on a surface is dependent on different tip sizes used on the airless sprayer.

Although the airless sprayer provides many advantages, the modern painter must carry: multiple wrenches that assist him in disconnecting and connecting hoses and paint tips; paint tips; paint filters; paint brushes; and a airless sprayer; amongst others. Not only are there more tools that a painter must keep track of the tools are expensive. For example, paint tips may retail for $20.00 to $40.00. Specialty tips may cost even more.

Additionally, being considerate of the environment and his client's pocketbook, the modern painter wants to get the last bit of paint from the paint bucket into his airless sprayer. To get the last bit of paint, the painter pools the paint to one end of the bucket. The painter may do this by stacking rubbish at the bottom of the bucket to cause pooling of the paint or the painter may ask another person to hold the bucket so that the paint pools in one corner. Stacking rubbish is dangerous.

Asking another person for help is a waste of labor and time. It takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes to spray a gallon of paint with an airless sprayer. Consequently, to use the last gallon, one person is taken off other work (e.g. caulking or cleaning) to hold a bucket. If the job is large, 7 to 10 minutes per bucket of paint is a significant amount of time one person spends doing nothing productive.

The current invention is a tool that will help a painter manage his tools and save time and labor. The tool comprises a container (known as the Painter's Station); a wrench (known as the Painter's Wrench); and a tip holder (known as the Magnetic Tip Holder).

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is a tool that will help a painter manage his tools and save time and labor. The tool comprises a container; a wrench; and a tip holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the container;

FIG. 1A is an elevational view of the container;

FIG. 1B is an elevational view of the container equipped with tools;

FIG. 1C is a top elevational view of the container placed with its closed side up holding a paint bucket;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the wrench;

FIG. 3A is an elevational view of the holder;

FIG. 3B is a bottom elevational view of the holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The current invention is a tool that comprises a container (100), a wrench (200) and a holder (300).

Container

Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C. The purpose of the container (100) is two-fold. First, the container (100) holds many of the tools a painter may need when working with a airless sprayer. Second, the container (100) is a time and labor saving device.

The container (100) is shaped as a wedge. The container (100) comprises an inside (101) and an outside (102). In one embodiment, the container (100) may comprise a lid (not shown) that closes the container (100). In a preferred embodiment, the container (100) is open.

The inside (101) of the container (100) comprises at a bottom (103), two sides (104, 105), and back (106). The container (100) comprises at least one magnet (107). In a preferred embodiment, the bottom (103) of the container (100) comprises at least one magnet (107). The at least one magnet (107) secures wrench(s), paint brush(s), and airless sprayer filter(s), amongst others, to the container (100).

The inside (101) of the container also comprises at least one metal plate (108). The metal plate (108) allows a tip holder (300) to attach with the container.

When the container (100) is placed with the outside (102) facing up, i.e. the inside facing down (101), a bucket of paint, or other liquid, can be placed on the outside (102) plain, creating pooling of the paint, or other liquid, to one side of the bucket. The increased depth of liquid, caused by pooling, allows a mechanical pumping device to pump more liquid, leaving less waste.

Wrench

Referring to FIG. 2. The wrench (200) replaces several of the tools required to work on or work with an airless sprayer. The wrench comprises an elongated handle (201), a first end (202) and a second end (203). In the preferred embodiment, the wrench is composed of a metal so that it can mount inside the container (100). However, it will be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the wrench (200) can be made of any sturdy material.

The first end (202) is comprised of at least two nested nut or bolt engaging heads (204, 205) and at least one hook (206). The at least one hook (206) can be used to open paint buckets, for example. The second end (203) comprises at least two nested nut or bolt engaging heads (207, 208). The handle comprises at least one nut or bolt engaging head (209).

In the preferred embodiment, the nut engaging heads are open forks (210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215). Also, in the preferred embodiment, the five nuts engaging heads (204, 205, 207, 208, 209) accommodate a 1″, 13/16″, 11/16″, 9/16″, and 1″ 1/16 nut or bolt.

Tip Holder

Referring to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. The holder (300) secures paint sprayer tip(s) in one location. The tip holder (300) can be secured to metal near a work area or stored in the container (100).

In the preferred embodiment, the holder (300) has a rectangular profile. However, it will be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the holder (300) can take on any shape.

The tip holder (300) comprises a top portion (301) and a bottom portion (302). The top portion (301) comprises at least one hole (303) sufficient in size to hold a standard metal end of an airless sprayer paint tips. In the preferred embodiment, the top portion (301) comprises two rows (304, 305) of holes (303), each hole (303) having a diameter of approximately 0.44″.

The bottom portion (302) of the holder (300) comprises at least one magnet (306) sufficient in size: to secure the paint tip(s) in the at least one hole (303) when the holder (300) is turned top-portion (301) facing down; and/or to secure the holder (300) to a metal surface in a work area. The at least one magnet (306) is also used to secure the holder (300) to the container (100). 

1. A painter's tool, said tool comprising a container; a wrench; and a tip holder.
 2. The container of claim 1 is wedge shaped, said container comprises an inside portion and an outside portion.
 3. The inside portion of claim 2 comprises at least one metal plate.
 4. The inside portion of claim 2 comprises a bottom, two sides, and a back.
 5. The bottom of claim 4 comprises at least one magnet.
 6. The container of claim 1 comprises a lid, said lid closes the opening.
 7. The wrench of claim 1 comprises an elongated handle joining a first end to a second end.
 8. The elongated handle of claim 7 comprises at least one nut or bolt engaging head.
 9. The first end of claim 7 is comprised of at least two nested nut or bolt engaging heads.
 10. The first end of claim 9 further comprises at least one hook.
 11. The second end of claim 7 comprises at least two nested nut or bolt engaging heads.
 12. The tip holder of claim 1 comprises a top portion and a bottom portion
 13. The top portion of claim 12 comprises at least one hole sufficient in size to hold a standard metal end of an airless sprayer paint tip.
 14. A method to use the container of claim 1 comprising: placing the container bottom side up and placing a container of liquid on the container so that the liquid pools to one side of the container. 